Indian cricket men and women won the two best ICC awards
Dubai. Indian ODI and Test captain Shubman Gill and women’s cricket team opener Shafali Verma have been named the best cricketers in the men’s and women’s categories for the month of September. This is the third time that Indian men and women cricketers have been chosen together as the best players for a month.
Gill has won the ICC Player of the Year award for the month of September after his brilliant performance in the ODI series against West Indies. Gill has received this honor for the fifth time. He has further extended his record of winning this title the most number of times in the men’s category. Shafali Verma has won the Player of the Month award for the second time after playing a key role in India’s victory in the Women’s Asia Cup and Asian Games.
This new award received by Gill has put him on par with West Indies captain Hayley Mathews. Mathews has also won the ICC Player of the Month award five times. Gill scored 110 runs in the first match of the ODI series against West Indies, while in the second match he scored a brilliant inning of 223 runs in 133 balls.
After winning the award, Gill said, “It feels great to win my fifth ICC Player of the Month award. I am grateful to the panel for this honour. It felt great to score so many runs and it was even more special to be a part of a successful run chase in front of our home fans, whose support always gives us that extra boost.”
He said, “The pace of ODI cricket has increased a lot. You have to think quickly, assess the conditions quickly and adapt to the demands of the pitch and target. With the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup to be held in South Africa next year, we are determined to keep improving our level and build a strong and balanced team capable of facing the challenges ahead.”
Shafali Verma said, “It is an incredible honor to win the ICC Player of the Month award again. It felt great to play a part in our victories in the Asia Cup and Asian Games, and winning this award makes those victories even more special.”
She said, “I am excited about the coming months. I am determined to continue my best performance in the ICC Women’s Champions Trophy in February next year. This is another tournament that I am looking forward to. The memory of winning the World Cup is still very fresh and special. I cannot wait to get back on the field for an ICC tournament on home soil.”
In the September shortlist, apart from Gill, India’s opener Abhishek Sharma and Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza were named in the men’s category, while in the women’s category, apart from Shefali, Sri Lankan captain Chamari Athapattu and India’s left-arm spinner Sri Charani were named.